NOV 1 4 1933 to DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF EDUCATION BULLETIN, 1929, No. 4 ILLITERACY IN THE SEVERAL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD By JAMES F. ABEL SPECIALIST IN FOREIGN EDUCATION AND NORMAN J. BOND PRINCIPAL STATISTICAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1929 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS U.S.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 15 CENTS PER COPY 4—X ' V# ' CONTENTS Page Introduction_ vi Chapter I.—Statistics of illiteracy_ 1 Value of the data_ 1 Nature of the data_ 1 Census data; criteria_ 2 Inclusion of racial groups_ 2 Accuracy of the census_ 3 Age limits of illiteracy_ 3 Forms of reporting_ 3 Making data comparable_ 4 Indices for different age groups_ 5 Graphic presentation_ 6 Sources of the data_ 6 Chapter II.—Areas of least illiteracy_ 7 Australia_ 11 Belgium_ 11 Canada_ 12 Canal Zone_ 13 Czechoslovakia_ 13 Denmark_ 13 England and Wales_ 13 France_ 14 Irish Free State_ 15 Japan_ 15 Netherlands_ 15 New Zealand_ 16 Norfolk Island_ 16 North Ireland_ 16 Norway_ 16 Territory of Papua_ 17 American Samoa_ 17 Scotland_ 17 Sweden_ 17 Switzerland_ 18 Union of South Africa___ 18 United States_ 19 Chapter III.—Political divisions with illiteracy rates between 10 and 50 per cent_ 20 Estonia_ 24 Hawaii_ 24 Hungary_ 24 Territory of New Guinea_ 24 Alaska_ 25 Argentina.:_ 25 Guam_ 25 in IV CONTENTS Chapter III.—Political divisions with illiteracy rates, etc.—Continued. Page Italy_ 26 Latvia__ 26 Newfoundland and Labrador_ 26 Virgin Islands_ 27 Cuba_ 27 Finland_ 28 Lithuania_ 28 Poland_ 2Q Uruguay_ 30 Yugoslavia_ 30 Bulgaria_ 30 Chile_ 31 Jamaica_ 32 Colony of the Leeward Islands_ 32 Rumania_ 32 Spain_ 33 Chapter IV.—Political divisions with population over half illiterate_ 34 Ceylon_ 37 Colombia_ 38 British Guiana_ 38 British Malaya_ 38 Mexico_ 39 Philippine Islands_ 40 Porto Rico_ 40 Union of Socialist Soviet Republics_ 40 Brazil_ t _ 42 Nicaragua_ 42 Portugal_*_ 43 < Venezuela_ 43 Dominican Republic_ 44 Guatemala_ 44 Dutch East Indies_ 44 Egypt-- 45 India_ 46 Union of South Africa_ 47 Chapter V.—Summary of data presented and of areas for which adequate idata are not given__ 48 Areas for which data are not given_ 49 Asia_ 49 Africa_ 49 South America_ 50 Oceania_ 50 North America_ 50 Europe_ 50 Chapter VI.—Is illiteracy decreasing?_ 57 Factors promoting the spread of literacy_ 57 ' Belief in popular education_ 58 Readjustment of national boundaries_ 59 Education of minorities_ 59 Education of women and girls_ 60 . Statistical data_ 60 Europe_ 60 Africa_ 61 CONTENTS - V Chapter VI.—Is illiteracy decreasing?—Continued. Page Asia_:- 61 Oceania_ 62 North America_ 62 South America_ 63 Chapter VII.—Illiteracy and age groups_ 64 The educational inventory_ 64 Bulgaria_ 65 Spain_ 67 Comparative indices_*._ 68 The “can write” groups_ 68 TABLES Page 1. —Percentages of illiteracy for different age groups in 15 countries, ascer¬ tained by the census_ 5 2. —Political divisions which report less than 10 per cent illiteracy_ 10 3. —Political divisions having an illiteracy rate between 10 and 49.9 per cent listed in groups of 10 per cent range_ 22 4. —Political divisions having an illiteracy rate between 50 and 100 per cent, listed in groups of 10 per cent range_ 36 5. —Distribution by age groups of literates (can read and write) in Bulgaria, census of December 31, 1920_ 65 6. —Percentages of population and degrees of instruction for different age groups in Spain, census of 1920_ 67 MAPS Maps showing political divisions by indices of illiteracy: Page North America_ 52 Europe_ 53 Asia_ 53 South America.__ 54 Africa_ 55 Oceania__ 56 INTRODUCTION The main purpose in preparing this bulletin is to assemble so far as practicable and publish in brief form such official statistics as are avail¬ able on illiteracy in the various countries of the world, to tell where those data may be found, and if possible, to give a general estimate of world-wide illiteracy. Incidental to this purpose, it becomes necessary to show the high percentage of the world’s population for which statistics of illiteracy are not gathered; to indicate the unreliability of many of the popularly quoted statistics; and to voice the need for common criteria in deter¬ mining what illiteracy is and the age groups to which they should ap¬ ply, in order that the data may be more comparable and a truer picture of the status of illiteracy may be possible. The schedules for the censuses of the countries of the world of 1930 and thereabouts will soon be arranged. It is hoped that the various kinds of data here presented will, to some extent, help the makers of those schedules to arrange schemes for collecting and reporting that are more nearly common to all countries, so that by 1935 the figures may be presented more clearly, definitely, and comprehensively. VI ILLITERACY IN THE SEVERAL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD CHAPTER I Statistics of Illiteracy Value of the data .—Illiteracy statistics form one of the several indices used in the science of demography to measure roughly the degree of a people’s culture. They indicate to a considerable extent the effectiveness of its school system, the pride which the race in question takes in its language and literature, and its determination to open to all its citizenry the medium of written communication. They reflect the national attitude toward the education of women, indigenous peoples, and minority groups; the enforcement of com¬ pulsory education laws; and the general progress of educational poli¬ cies. They are of use to the administrator in formulating policies of government. They are in a definite sense an indication of a coun¬ try’s financial and economic status. They are a valuable supplement to the more detailed and more frequently gathered statistics of edu¬ cation published annually or biennially by most countries. Nature of the data .—When given world-wide application, illiteracy statistics as they are at present gathered and reported, are very un¬ satisfactory for several reasons. First, they are often based on unre¬ liable indices. The per cent of persons signing the marriage register by mark is the index used in England and Wales, the Irish Free State, North Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Uruguay. This is obviously inaccurate as a measure of literacy. It applies almost wholly to persons over 18 years of age; and in the countries named, with a total of about 59,000,000 of people, to less than 2 per cent of the population—much too small a group from which to draw deductions for the whole. Moreover, many persons who can and do sign their names mechanically have no real knowledge of reading and writing. Again, the per cent that can neither read nor write among the conscripts, or army recruits, or those liable to military service, forms the basis of illiteracy statistics in Sweden, Japan, Argentina, and the Soviet Union. This also can not be accurate since it applies to a 1 2 WORLD ILLITERACY comparatively small number, to those that have reached their ma¬ jority, and to only one sex. The per cent of illiterates as reported in France for the years of four consecutive censuses among the newly married, conscripts, and persons 10 years of age and over, show the considerable discrepancy between the first two of these and the data taken carefully at a census. Discrepancies in illiteracy data obtained by different methods in France Year of census Per cent of illiterates among newly married Per cent of illiterates among conscripts Per cent of illiterates among those 10 years of age and over, by census 1901. 5.0 5.63 16.5 1906. 3.5 5.15 12.4 1911. 2.4 4.26 i 12.8 1921. 4.07 8.2 115 years of age and over. In 1924 when the figures for the conscripts were obtained by an actual examination of the men when they reported to the corps, instead of accepting the statements of the mayors, as had been done previously, the percentage was 8.89 as against 3.51 in 1922. In the years 1918 to 1922, inclusive, among 130,944 Europeans in the Union of South Africa contracting marriage, 0.52 per cent signed the marriage register by mark. The census of 1918 showed 2.08 per cent of the Europeans 10 years of age and over as unable to read and write. Census data — Criteria .—Figures gathered at organized national censuses are the most desirable, but they are not to be had for about half the population of the world. When they are obtainable, they are too often incomparable because the definitions of the term 1 ‘illiteracy” and the ages to which they apply vary greatly. Among the criteria for determining illiteracy are: “Can not read”; “can not read and write”; “can not read or write”; “can not write in any language, regardless of ability to read”; “can not write a short letter to a friend and read the answer”; and “can not read and write a short letter.” To the casual thinker the difference between “can not read” and “can not read and write” may seem negligible, but in the Philippine Islands 214,989, or approximately 25 per cent of the persons who can read Spanish can not write it. The same is true of 199,754 in Spain. In continental United States 448,340, or 9.1 per cent, of the illiterates can read but not write. More than 420,000 persons in Lithuania can read but can not write. Many other examples may be cited. Inclusion of racial groups .—Another source of incomparability lies in the varying practices with regard to including certain racial groups or indigenous peoples. The illiteracy rate of 6 per cent for the main- STATISTICS 3 land of the United States applies to all persons 10 years of age and over, whether they are native or foreign born, Caucasian, Asiatic, Negro, or Indian. The rate of 4.2 per cent for Australia does not take into consideration an indigenous population of 59,000. Those for Papua and New Guinea apply to very small groups of resident Europeans; native peoples numbering half a million or more are not in the computations. Indigenous people are excluded from the reports for British Guiana, Colombia, Venezuela, and some additional Ameri¬ can countries, while they are included for others, notably Mexico, Brazil, and Guatemala. In the census of the Philippine Islands the literacy status of nearly a million people of foreign birth and of so-called “non-Christians” was disregarded. The returns from the Dutch East Indies are comprehensive, including alike natives, Euro¬ peans, and foreign Asiatics. Those from Japan do not include about 21,000,000 of people in Chosen, Taiwan, and Karafuto. Accuracy oj the census .—In the actual census taking the care and thoroughness with which the enumerators do their work differs con¬ siderably. The declaration of the person as to his ability to read and write is generally accepted, and the result is unquestionably a higher per cent of literacy recorded than the actual conditions warrant. In the Army psychological testing carried on among the drafted men in the United States in 1918, out of 1,552,256 recruits, 24.9 per cent were sent to the beta examination, an intelligence test devised especially for illiterates, as being in general unable “to read and understand newspapers, and write letters home,” 1 though the census taken two years later showed an illiteracy rate of less than one-fourth that found in the testing. The difference is due to the higher standards of the tests and the greater care taken in applying them. As between the illiteracy rates published for the United States and those for India, the latter are undoubtedly more reliable. The definition of literacy in India sets a higher standard and in its very nature requires a more careful application. (See page 46.) Age limits oj illiteracy .—The age groups to which the criteria for illiteracy are applied include 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, or 15 years of age and over, and all ages or the total population. In the Spanish-speaking coun¬ tries the percentage is usually computed on the total population. In the United States and its outlying parts, Canada, India, and several other countries, the grouping is 10 years of age and over. The most commonly used application is to 5 years of age and over. Forms oj reporting .—Data gathered under like criteria and for the same age groups are now reported in many different forms, depending on the will or judgment of the director in charge. As great a need exists for uniform methods of reporting as exists for similar criteria. 1 National Academy of Sciences. Vol. XV. Psychological examining in the United States Army. Edited by Robert M. Yerkes. 4 WORLD ILLITERACY Making data comparable .—Sources of incomparability due to differ¬ ences in thoroughness of census taking will always be. They may be lessened but not eliminated. Those due to differences of definition and the exclusion of some races can be removed by an agreement among political divisions to adopt and use the same criteria and in¬ clude all races. Those due to differences in age groupings may be overcome by adopting a common standard, or they may be made to yield to mathematical treatment and give results that must be reason¬ ably near to the exact. Often the reports contain related statistics that may be used to interpret the illiteracy rate, if given for one age group, in terms of that for another. In the aggregate, children under 5 years of age are illiterate, and a rate given for all ages may be changed to that for the population 5 years of age and over by the simple process of subtracting the per cent (if it is known) of the population under 5 years of age from the illiteracy rate and also from 100, and dividing the former remainder by the latter. If the per cent of the population under 5 years of age is not given, it is reasonable to use 12.03 per cent for European countries 2 and 14.4 per cent for Latin-American countries. Assume that 12 in every 100 persons in a given population are under 5 years of age. If the other 88 are all literate, including those under 5 brings the illiteracy rate up to 12 per cent; if they are all illiterate, including those under 5 makes no difference in the index of 100 per cent which applies to the 88 persons 5 and over. As the number of illiterates among those 5 years of age and over increases by 1 in each 88, the difference in final result between includ¬ ing and excluding those under 5 years of age decreases by about 0.14 per cent. The following table shows the progressive change. Change of per cent of illiteracy made by including or excluding persons under 5 years of age Number of illiter¬ ates in each 88, 5 years of age and over Per cent, if those under 5 years are included Per cent, if those under 5 years are excluded Differ¬ ence in final result 1 2 3 4 0. 12 0.0 12.0 1... 13 1.13 11.87 2... 14 2.27 11.73 3. 15 3.4 11.6 4. 16 4.54 11.5 5. 17 5.68 11.32 6. 18 6.81 11.19 7. 19 7.95 11.05 Number of illiter¬ ates in each 88, 5 years of age and over Per cent, if those under 5 years are included Per cent, if those under 5 years are excluded Differ¬ ence in final result 1 2 , 3 4 8. 20 9.09 10.91 9..... 21 10.23 10.77 10.. 22 11.36 10.63 25.. 37 28.41 8.59 50. 62 56.81 5.19 75. 87 84. 75 2.25 88. 100 100.0 0.0 By the above table, if the per cent of illiteracy for the total popu¬ lation is 37, then 25 in every 88 persons 5 years of age and over are illiterate and the rate among them is 28.41 per cent, a reduction of 8.59 per cent brought about by excluding those under 5 years of age. 2 Whipple, George Chandler. Vital statistics. An introduction to the science of demography. New York, 1919. STATISTICS 5 The data gathered at the census of 1920 for Spain show the pro¬ portion of persons under 5 years of age and the illiteracy (can not read) rate for the total population to be 10.5 per cent and 52.2 per cent, respectively; that is, in every 895 persons 5 years of age and over, 417 or 46.59 per cent were illiterate; the census enumerators actually found it to be 46.6 per cent. Illiteracy among the Bantus of the Union of South Africa is 90.3 per cent based on the total popula¬ tion. The age distribution is not known. Excluding 12 per 100 as being under 5 years of age, the illiteracy rate is 89 per cent, the reduction in this case being only 1.3 per cent. By such a process as this, illiteracy data when given for a total population may be changed to a fair approximation for those 5 years of age and over. Expressing either of the rates just considered in terms of that for the population 10 years of age and over is a more complicated process, and more subject to error since many children under 10 will know how to read and write. The same general principle will apply. The smaller the illiteracy rate for the total population, the greater will be the reduction by excluding those in the lower ages. Indices for different age groups .—Differences in rates for the same country when different age groups are considered are shown for 15 countries in Table 1. These illiteracy rates were ascertained by actual census taking, not by computation. While no general for¬ mula for expressing the index for the total population or for that 5 years of age and over in terms of an index for the population 10 years of age and over may be deduced from the table, it gives a fair idea of the result that may be expected. Table 1 . —Percentages of illiteracy for different age groups in 15 countries, ascer¬ tained by the census Political division Per cent for total popula¬ tion Per cent for 5 years of age and over Per cent for 10 years of age and over Per cent for popu¬ lation 5 to 9 years, in¬ clusive 1 2 3 4 5 Belgium... 16.9 10.7 i 7.9 Brazil..... 75.5 2 64.9 Bulgaria_______ 55. 54 50.47 46. 75 73.0 Canada.... 10.0 5.7 37.2 Ceylon.... 65.8 60.1 Dutch East Indies_____ 95.7 2 94. 8 Estonia..... 2 12. 66 10.8 ^ 41.94 France. 9. 25 8.2 22.7 Guatemala..... 89.5 88. 82 India........ 92.8 91.8 90.5 97.9 Latvia....... * 25. 7 21.17 « 71.02 New Zealand_ 4.94 1. 6 28.68 Portugal_________ 70.9 67. 66 Spain!....... 52.2 46.6 42.7 73.6 Union of South Africa.. _ . _ 23.2 2 5. 43 2.76 1 8 years of age and over. * 7 years of age and over. * 6 years of age and over. 2 15 years of age and over. * 7 to 9, inclusive. 6 6 to 9, inclusive. 6 WORLD ILLITERACY Graphic presentation .—In any brief presentation of the illiteracy situation in the world, the devices of tabular arrangement and graphic illustration are well-nigh essential. They have the advantage of showing much material in compact form so that it may be quickly grasped. They are distinctly disadvantageous if they suggest com¬ parisons where none exist. While it is not possible in the present condition of statistics on illiteracy to list the political divisions in an order of rank based on fine measures, it is possible by taking into consideration the different criteria and age groupings to arrange them roughly in groups of 10 per cent range each, and to some extent show their relative status. Accordingly, that has been done and the tables in the following chapters list the political divisions in which the per cent of illiteracy by the best evidence at hand is less than 10; 10 to 19.9; 20 to 29.9; etc. In each case the name of the political division, the per cent of illiteracy, the criteria under which that percentage is obtained, the number of persons in the age or selected group to which those criteria apply, the per cent which that group is of the total population, the total population, and the source of the total population figures, are given. These items are selected out of the very large number that may be used, because they offer the few facts necessary for a grasp of the situation, and also afford to students of illiteracy and illiteracy statistics the bases for a wide range of comparisons. Sources of the data .—In gathering the evidence presented the figures to be found in the official reports of the national censuses taken during or about the year 1920 were chosen first as the latest, best, and most nearly correct obtainable. Figures antedating 1916, except as an occasional check and in the section dealing with relative in¬ creases and decreases, are omitted. While general statistics on illit¬ eracy will probably not soon be available until well past the middle year of any decade, those over 10 years old are not of much value in showing the condition of affairs at the beginning of a decade. Where the data are lacking in the census reports, the official marriage registers, conscription records, etc., have been used though the many sources of error in them are fully appreciated. The statements of observers that seem to be competent and impartial are quoted in a few instances. Finally the statistical reports on education are some¬ times referred to in verification of the data on illiteracy. Considerable care has been taken to make the main features of this report as complete as possible. The large libraries at hand were searched thoroughly. When it seemed necessary, inquiries were directed to foreign governments and to well-established statistical bureaus abroad. If any important data have been omitted the Bureau of Education will be glad to know of it. CHAPTER II Areas of Least Illiteracy The area of least illiteracy in the world is in western Europe and, for the most part, along the shores of the North and Baltic Seas. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland claim to have little or no illiteracy among their peoples. Though the indices on which those claims are based are unreliable, the claims are not far from correct. Among the foreign born 10 years of age and over in Canada, the census of 1921 showed 11,352 Danes, of whom 1.74 per cent were unable to read and write; 43,025 Norwegians, 1.4 per cent; 38,175 Swedes, 2.67 per cent; and 4,595 Swiss, 1.52 per cent. 1 The literacy quality of the emigrants serves as a check on the rates given for the mother countries. All these four nations, each comparatively small in area and popu¬ lation, have strong school systems, and both public opinion and law require that the children attend. With the exception of Switzerland, their peoples are homogeneous and, while there are three racial divi¬ sions of Switzerland, each division is comparatively pure within itself. All are in only a slight degree subject to immigration. All have maintained national governments long enough to be responsible for the status of literacy within their borders. Closely bordering on this section of little or no illiteracy are Belgium, Czechoslovakia, England and Wales, Finland, France, the Irish Free State, the Netherlands, North Ireland, and Scotland, with small percentages of their citizenry that can not, at least, read and write. Czechoslovakia is a recently established national entity. Its literacy rate is still affected by the former rule of Austria-Hungary. Most of these countries, like the four previously mentioned, are giving of their human wealth to others by emigration rather than receiving it by immigration. Of 24 European divisions, Ireland stands highest (30.5 per cent) in the per cent which its native-born living overseas is of the population of the mother country. Norway (14.8 per cent), Scotland (14.1 per cent), and Sweden (11.2 per cent), are second, third, and fourth, respectively; England and Wales are seventh; and Denmark eighth. They are in general above the median per cent of emigration. 2 3 i Dominion of Canada. Dominion Bureau of Statistics. Illiteracy and school attendance in Canada. A study of the census of 1921, with supplementary data. Ottawa, 1926. 3 Census of the population of the Irish Free State on April 18, 1926. Preliminary report. Dublin, Stationery Office, 1926. 8 WORLD ILLITERACY Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States of America have populations predominantly European or the descendants of Europeans. They are, or have been until a short time ago, subject to a considerable influx of immigrants. Their literacy rates are the products not of their own schools alone, but of those of several other countries. Native whites in the United States are 2 per cent illit¬ erate; foreign-born, 13.1 per cent. The Canadian-born of Canada are 4.8 per cent illiterate; the British-born, 0.76 per cent; and the foreign-born, 12.11 per cent. The United States is the only nation with more than 100,000,000 inhabitants that has a rate of less than 10 per cent, and that rate, it must be remembered, includes all races within the continental borders. The European peoples in the Union of South Africa, Papua, and Malaysia have carried with them their belief in education; have established schools for their own children; and are extending schemes for school training to the indigenous populations. The Canal Zone, Norfolk Island, and Samoa are strategic mili¬ tary and trading points that are held and manned by the peoples of literate nations. Japan is the only oriental nation that has deliberately and by its own efforts reduced its illiteracy rate on the central islands to a western European level and has done so in a surprisingly short time, about one generation. The very low rate (0.88 per cent) given in the table is not entirely borne out by census figures for Japanese in other countries; those in Canada are 20.4 per cent illiterate; those in the United States, 11 per cent. The 22 political divisions each of which reports an index of less than 10 per cent are listed in Table 2, page 10. Their population, as shown by column 6, is 312,094,449. This is the total for which some form of illiteracy statistics was obtainable. To this must be added the figures for Eupen and Malmedy, and the aboriginal groups in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua (in all 422,994) as indicated in the footnotes to the table, making a combined population of 312,- 517,443, or 17.17 per cent of the 1,820,000,000 estimated as the popu¬ lation of the earth about 1920. The combined area is 11,110,995 square miles, or a little more than one-fifth (21.3 per cent) of the earth’s land area, estimated at 52,000,000 square miles, exclusive of uninhabited polar regions. As to absolute number of illiterates, the reports are: Australia, 220,100; Belgium, 515,308; Canada, 341,019; Canal Zone, 751; Czechoslovakia, 866,048; France, 2,657,271; New Zealand, 47,315; Norfolk Island, 40; Papua (Europeans), 148; American Samoa, 239; Union of South Africa (Europeans), 40,241; and the United States, 4,931,905. The total is 9,620,385 for the 12 countries named. Den¬ mark, England and Wales, the Irish Free State, Japan, the Nether- AREAS OF LEAST ILLITERACY 9 lands, North Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland— countries for which unreliable indices were used—must have at least 600,000. Eupen and Malmedy and the aboriginal groups mentioned above may be estimated as having 250,000 illiterates. This group of political divisions includes in its population approximately ten and one-half millions of persons 10 years of age and over that can not read and write. The countries are named in alphabetical order in the hope that the reader will not draw hasty conclusions as to relative rank based on small percentages, or even fractions of a per cent worked out from data that are at best only partially comparable. Following the table is a short discussion, including references, for each political division. Table 2 .—Political divisions which re-port less than 10 per cent illiteracy 10 WORLD ILLITERACY 3 ft o 15 ot O & 8 »H” G o w 03 rH O i—I Hr- 1 H r- 1 O *C O O <-1 CD O r- t r- I Q O (N(N(N(NIN^Wh(N(N(NC^ CM CM CM Oi 05 05 050505050505050505050505 05 05 05 r»H H to ,-7 OcDOOhh iO-^GOh^ CO H CM # H CO *-H T—* ® —• • - m ^ • ■ • • l3 ftg SSft’gc £ ^ ® 3m © .® ^ ° ^ ! '\© © © ftp a g S22°" «4-H «*-H «*—, «*_, «*—« - 00 O to r- oo COCON05CMC50rH *-h co co to T*< to CO * i to o Per cent which that class is of total popula¬ tion to co 0 0 0 00 CO O 00 00 05 ! to T- itor^ooo^oo^cM 1 rH CM rH ’—' 00 rH 1 00 00 00 1 1 O to ^ 1 O O l-H 1 C5 t- 1 1 1 • .. 8 8.3 73.1 78.2 Number of persons in the class to which that per cent applies 4, 748, 886 6, 522, 890 6, 682, 072 13, 285 12, 345,157 592, 832 32, 437, 091 31,264 521, 991 99, 054 966, 128 634 15, 948 1,881 5,683 70, 400 274, 816 1, 036, 729 82, 739, 315 T? © -ft a> a 0 o lx 0 ft 0 ft +s ft © 2 & a o p o eg © Q CO © ©• ■c* T3 G © © © »r-H JH 05 •«—I #H ' >- 1 ' b ' >- ' *-< te ' tS £2x<'2tB3 |t ©£? w i 3 ,-s P . p _ P _, 03 *g S fc'g p© 53 pft rtf ® ix £ P — H 3 H H H c8 L o go*" _ ‘ © © -H 2 S®a 2 a_®ago — m ® +x *"* >>■£? >>"C >> + i> 4 "!’ pr O ®33 © oft Sft feft 0,2 ft *h re’t* r!* re* ,-h . c3r^_ s K*» Cn c3 <^3 h - - ’ ^ ^ - a> G © C! 03 2 S 03 fl § a g g p a S P ,...o O M w w - - - ~ © © © > > >>00 o o lx *1> Ix ^ ft IX - “ fl « O 0 33PSmg^fl»SC ^ tT 3 ® "So. -'SoxJ ‘So 0 ~ tT © © C g © © " > t> © 00“ •l-H -r-H n _J bCft be be ©•3 © ft ft © p 3 ^ © © p © © > t> M“ MO O 0 be a °x3ft ® © p-p S' .«? w ~ 22 © S22' c fl'dS'E22 PPpPPpl-P©- ' * o3-OTC5t£ , i2Ctf 1 Ckfa3!Z) IjP-iPP(-.P3PpPoP>hI-i cd 03 © © 03 0-3 ©'3 2'3 p 03 ©©^^©“©t^QP ©©® 1 - 1 >- >>00 ^ •-o •“ ©•£?>* >>.“ lOPiHrHNOtfir-lCOOtClOlOtD bo G ■i-H 3 *2 >3 1 tO 1 © © CM -rf OC rH 1 05 05 OO © p NOSXNOHMNOOOWOIMH lOOWNNCOOO CJ> **-• t-H " °® © .t? ifNtOiON 00 CM CO CM 1 Tf CM CO [ ^ a 1 1 G .2 CO • r—1 •rH •O 2 o o ft 0 2 3 as > w © r—H CCS 13 p p CO © w , ^SpNgis'g is-2 p p-g £-2 fl ^ 222?f3P®© M §'S P © p p S © P 2-2 <;no(jOfiWhg © © h| n 2 ^S p— ■ 0 T3 P P u & TJ _ ©2 P 03 0 13 P 0 5 te 1 . 2 b P 1 co ^ to 5 * !N -H O . p OOP - 1 P - 1 P t 3 © -^ a T-t 2 -- p © p p S*' >H (H Q) ^ ^ P IM P H . hs ^ rvi be o 3 G be G r2 r** G c3 H ^O) h H P c © —1 © 9 p g.2 ©-.2 © 3 . be o be •: 1-1 (D-H 0) tn © g > g © ® ^ © S © O o 0 Mrn 0 x; p p XJ T 3 p -c p>-n a (3 T3 P 03 © P.t3 P © © © MR- 3 MM hn — • L ^ ri cd ^ P P © ® be p cd 2 £ p p 50’S s- p P © P p p P ©'3 o'3 © © © >1 © 33 © >1 >> >> ^ bc.P be ^ ^ O — 2—0 0 10 — CO CO 1—1 r—* C/3 p p © ft o H p w p 3 ft p ft- «~co o . „'2-13 O ^ P p m p p © ft o lx 2 ft p © < X3 p c. **-H -*H> i> ij . ft © ®oco#ig _ CO G >£_, co S Oi 05 G O tp 'G G 08 o CO CO © be cd Qi © © CO CO* G *0 p p pq . . -T 3 1 ®i2 ® -- -H P P p- X 3 •©, P - bCl—( ®'C>® co a P^ 22^ 3 -G - T5 © 2® -p _ CO © M Fs CM ^co JG mU to fe 2 be be be lx Mx GPP i “sao,; © © - 1 p ft CO Omx lx lx O 0 ® p • h a — ft P|!.a h-POt. (Vi 22 h P * ft a ft ..a 33 V 3 O >J o © 2 & 2 P ft © o .© !>> d £ Mb .2,8° p, p ©n® 22 £ ftp 30 *0 OO Oa o AREAS OF LEAST ILLITERACY 11 Australia .—The information in respect to education collected at the census in Australia never amounted to more than a statement as to ability to read and write. The results are broadly a division of the population into three main groups: (1) Can not read; (2) can read, but can not write; and (3) can read and write. Group 1 is mostly children. Group 2 is comparatively small. In 1921, 86,642 persons out of a total population of 5,435,734 did not give the required information. Education data were gathered at the census of April 4, 1921. Compared with those of April 3, 1911, they are: Education of population in Australia 1 (Exclusive of about 60,000 full-blood aboriginals) Particulars April 4, 1921 -4 Apr. 3, 1911 Increase in 10 years Men Women Total Total Can not read: Under 5 years of age... Over 5 years of age.... English language: Read and write. Read only..... Foreign language only: Read and write.... Read only__ Not stated.... Total.... 305,522 114,573 2, 278,768 6, 578 12, 704 591 44,134 294, 684 91,015 2,234, 641 6,972 2,673 371 42, 508 600, 206 205, 588 4, 513, 409 13, 550 15, 377 962 86, 642 525,633 139, 749 3, 650, 030 15, 009 26, 210 2,647 95, 727 74, 573 65,839 863, 379 1, 459 10, 833 1,685 9, 085 2, 762,870 2,672, 864 5,435, 734 4,455,045 980, 729 1 Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, Apr. 4, 1921. Census Bulletin No. 18. Summary for the Commonwealth of Australia. Prepared by Chas. H. Wickens, Commonwealth statistician, Melbourne. Computing the more important percentages from the table by dis¬ regarding the children under 5 years of age and those from whom the information was not obtained, a total of 4,748,886 persons remains, for which the following data are applicable: Per cent of literacy of population over 5 years of age, Australia Particulars Number of persons Per cent Can not read: Under 5 years of age_______ 600, 206 205, 588 4, 528, 786 14, 512 100 4.3 95.3 .4 Over 5 years of age____ - . - .... English or a foreign language: Read and write _ _ _ _ _ . Read only _ _ _ _ The illiteracy rate among persons 5 years of age and over is 4.3 per cent or 4.7 per cent, according whether the criterion is ability to read or ability to read and write. Belgium .—The basis of illiteracy statistics is the census return rendered by the head of each family, normally every 10 years. Lit- 33194—29-2 12 WORLD ILLITERACY eracy is defined as knowing how to read and write, and all persons not having that knowledge are considered to be illiterates. The lit¬ erates amounted in 1920 to 6,156,181 out of a population of 7,406,299, or 83.1 per cent. 3 This applies to the total population. Leaving out of consideration the children younger than 5 years of age, the percentage becomes 89.3; leaving out those younger than 8 years of age, it is 92.1 per cent; and if one deducts those younger than 15 years of age, it is 96.7 per cent. The following table gives by sex and age groups the absolute num¬ bers and percentages of persons knowing how to read and write as determined by the census of 1920: Literacy by sex and age groups in Belgium Age groups Persons Percentages Men Women Men Women Total From 8 to less than 15 years.. 439, 788 447,473 91.1 93.1 92.1 From 15 to less than 20 years.. 349,838 354, 009 96.1 97.4 96.7 From 20 to less than 25 years____ 329, 218 333.437 96.3 96.7 96.5 From 25 to less than 30 years.... 281, 596 296, 408 96.4 96.1 96.2 From 30 to less than 40 years. 514, 384 524, 806 95.4 94.9 95.1 From 40 to less than 50 years___ 447, 319 448, 805 93.6 92.2 92.9 From 50 to less than 60 years. 322, 918 323, 081 90.9 87.0 89.0 From 60 to less than 70 years... 188, 818 197, 528 86.3 78.9 82.3 70 years and over... 97, 906 110, 248 77.6 67.4 71.9 Canada .—In the process of taking the sixth census of Canada in June, 1921, information was collected under two headings: (1) “Can read,” and (2) “Can write”—and the instructions were: If the person can read in any language, the question will be answered in the proper column by writing “Yes,” and by “No” if unable to read. If the person can write in any language the question will be answered in the proper column by “Yes,” and by “No” if unable to write. The abstract of the census 4 gives some illiteracy data for the popu¬ lation 5 years of age and over in order to make certain comparisons with previous censuses, but in the main the field of illiteracy is fixed at 10 years of age and over, and computations are made on that basis. In 1921 the percentage of all persons over 10 years of age not know¬ ing how to read, including Indians, was 5.1 per cent. If the standard of the United States, inability to write in any language, is applied, the percentage is 5.7 per cent. The data for the total population of 8,788,483 are summarized as follows: 3 Annuaire statistique de la Belgique et du Congo Beige. Cinquante-troisieme ann6e, 1923-24. Brux¬ elles, Imprimerie Lesigne, 1926. 4 Sixth census of Canada, Bulletin XVIII. Published by authority of the Hon. Thomas A. Low, Min¬ ister of Trade and Commerce. R. H. Coats, Dominion statistician, Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa. E. S. MacPhail, chief statistician for population. AREAS OF LEAST ILLITERACY 13 Literacy and illiteracy in Canada Particulars 5 years of age and over 10 years of age and over Number of persons...__ 7,730,833 6,957,412 90 6,682, 072 6, 298, 704 94. 26 Can read and write____ Per cent........ Can read only..... 58, 254 .75 42, 349 . 64 Per cent._.... Can not read nor write______ 715,167 9. 25 341,019 5.10 Per cent...... Of the 110,814 Indians included above, 80,037 are 10 years of age and over, and 41,695, or 52.09 per cent of them, are illiterate. The reader will note that, in this population with a high degree of literacy, the exclusion of persons 5 to 9 years of age, inclusive, lowers the illiteracy rate 4.26 per cent. Canal Zone .—The definition of illiteracy is that commonly used in census taking in the United States. The population is 54.1 per cent white; 45.6 per cent negro; and 0.3 per cent of other colored races. There is no illiteracy among the native whites; 1.9 per cent among the foreign-born whites; and 10.2 per cent among the negroes. The low per cent of illiteracy in the Canal Zone is due in part to an excellent school system and in part to the fact that the occupations of the zone are of a kind for which the ability to read and write are important. 5 Czechoslovakia .—The census of 1921 has, it is true, established that in Czechoslovakia there were only 7.02 per cent illiterates. Never¬ theless, Slovakia had 14.71 per cent and Subcarpathian Russia 50.03 per cent, while in Bohemia there were only 2.1 per cent, in Moravia 2.65 per cent, and in Silesia 3.12 per cent. 6 Denmark .—School attendance for children between the ages of 7 and 14 was made compulsory in Denmark as early as 1814. The law is enforced by a system of fines. It has now been in effect for 113 years, and the nation has not more than two-tenths of 1 per cent of its children without instruction and not more than one-tenth of 1 per cent illiteracy among those past the first two or three years of school age. Education, besides being compulsory, is to a large extent free. During the World War the paternal activity of the State even included two free meals a day to all school children. England and Wales .—The register general for England and Wales reports that in 1924, in 296,416 marriages registered, 995 men and 1,041 women signed with marks. The per cent of illiteracy (0.34 per cent) may be far from correct, since it is based on only 1.5 per cent of the population and to a restricted age group. In England and 8 Fourteenth census of the United States, 1920. Population: Canal Zone. Washington, D. C., Bureau of the Census. « Smok, Mikulas. Organization de l’Enseigneinent en Tohecoslovaquie. 14 WORLD ILLITERACY Wales approximately 7,588,000 persons, or about one-lifth of the total population, are attending organized schools. Illiteracy must be small in amount, but not so small as this imperfect index indicates. France .—The degree of instruction under the headings: “Knowing how to read and write”; “Illiterates”; and “Degree of instruction not declared,” are reported from France for the censuses of 1901, 1906, 1911, and 1921. Illiteracy in France in 1901 and 1906 1 Degree of instruction 1906 1901 Men W omen Men Women Less than 10 years of age: Knowing how to read and write.... Illiterate and not declared_ . _ 10 years of age and over: Knowing how to read and write_ ___ Illiterates. ___ 1, 060, 058 2, 391,436 13,617, 277 1, 762, 319 268, 631 1,063,744 2, 364, 206 13, 303, 770 2, 657,173 356, 039 1,025, 281 2, 366, 043 13, 206, 564 2, 062, 802 256,199 1,044,673 2,351,943 12, 748, 069 3, 065, 497 323,717 Literacy not declared. Total___ 19, 099, 721 19, 744,932 18, 916, 889 19,533, 899 1 Resultats statistiques du recensement general de la population effectufi le 4 Mars, 1906. Tome I, Deuxieme partie. Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1910. Illiteracy in France in 1901 and 1911 1 Degree of instruction 1911 1901 Population less than 5 years of age______ _ 3,464, 892 5, 241,620 986, 587 383, 446 24,863, 755 3, 660, 056 508,306 83,471 3, 574,905 5,078, 872 1,089,917 271,447 22, 876, 431 4,930, 881 509, 539 118,796 5 to 14 years: Knowing how to read and write.... Illiterates___________ _ Degree not declared........... 15 years and over: Knowing how to read and write.... Illiterates _ _ ___ . . . _ Degree of literacy not declared.......... Age not declared..... Total.... 39,192,133 38,450, 788 V 1 Resultats statistiques du recensement general de la population effectue le 6 Mars, 1911. Tome I, Deuxieme partie. Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1915. Illiteracy in France in 1921 1 Degree of instruction Men W omen 5 to 9 years of age: Knowing how to read and write. 974, 324 298, 032 231, 012 990,817 280,166 226,930 Illiterates..... Degree of literacy not declared.. Total..... 1, 503, 368 1,497, 913 10 years of age and over and age not given: Knowing how to read and write.. 14, 241, 851 1, 056, 544 430, 751 15, 537, 969 1, 600, 727 530, 080 Illiterates......... Illiteracy not declared....... Total....... 15, 729,146 17, 668, 776 1 Bulletin de la statistique general de la France et du service d'observation des prix. Paraissant tous¬ les trois mois. Tome XV, Fascicule IV, Juillet, 1926. Paris, Librarie Fglix Alcan (Page 410.) AREAS OF LEAST ILLITERACY 15 In 1901, out of 31,082,932 persons 10 years of age and over that gave the information, 5,128,299, or 16.5 per cent, could not read and write. On the same bases, in 1906 out of 30,746,168, there were 3,825,121 illiterates, or 12.4 per cent; and in 1921, out of 32,437,091 the illiter¬ ates numbered 2,657,271, or 8.2 per cent. ' The age group investi¬ gated in 1911 was 15 years and over, and the illiteracy rate was 12.8 per cent. When these fairly exact figures are compared with those often quoted for the conscripts, the latter are shown to be much too low. (See page 5.) Irish Free State .—Conditions in Ireland made it impracticable to take a census in 1921. The abstract of the census of March 22, 1926, is available for several items, but not as yet for education. Accord¬ ing to the annual report (1923) of the registrar general for Saorstat Eireann, 2.6 per cent of the men and 1.4 per cent of the women in the Irish Free State signed the marriage register by mark. Japan .—For Japan, statistics of illiteracy taken at an organized census are not available. Out of 521,991 conscripts called in 1925, 4,576, or 0.88 per cent, could not write and figure. 7 The new educa¬ tion system of interior Japan has been in practice for a little more than 30 years. The school age of the Japanese child begins on the next day after reaching his sixth year and ends on the day when he completes his fourteenth year, the whole period covering a term of eight years. His schooling commences at the beginning of the first school year within the school age and may end with the conclusion of the elementary school course. In 1900, 80 per cent of all children of school age were in school; in 1910 the percentage had increased to 97; and in 1922 to a little more than 99. Among the older people there are some yet who are illiterate, but the number is few and the per¬ centage small. This does not apply to Chosen, where only about 2per cent of the seventeen and one-fourth millions of people are in school; to Taiwan, where .about 7 per cent of the 3,655,000 inhabitants are attending school; or to Karafuto, where the pupils number 10 per cent of the 203,750 people. (See also page 3.) Netherlands .—As early as 1840, W. E. Hickson, a visitor from England to the Netherlands, wrote: There can be no hesitation about the universality of education in Holland. We were assured by Mr. Prinsen, the director of the Normal School at Haarlem, that in that town, containing 21,000 inhabitants, there was not a child of the age of six years unable to read; the proportion actually in school was one in seven of the whole population. But our belief on this subject does not rest on the state¬ ment of others, or upon official data, which there is often good reason for mis¬ trusting, but upon our own personal observations. We found the smallest towns and the poorest villages in Holland as well provided with schools as the town of * Resume statistique de l’empire du Japon. 41* Annee. Tokyo, 1927. 16 WORLD ILLITERACY Haarlem; and even on sandy moors, in the inland part of the country, in out-of- the-world sort of places, wherever a neighborhood existed in which 40 or 50 chil¬ dren could be discovered within the circuit of a mile, we found them collected in a school. Nor were these schools like our ordinary dame and charity schools; many of them being excellent, and all above mediocrity. 8 Of the conscripts called out in 1923, 0.35 per cent could neither read nor write; the percentage was highest, 2.07 per cent, in Drenthe. Of the persons married in 1918, 0.22 per cent of the males and 0.41 per cent of the females could not sign the marriage certificate. 9 The Dutch statistical bureau no longer publishes figures on illiteracy in the Netherlands. New Zealand .—A quinquennial census is now taken regularly in New Zealand. Seventeen censuses were taken between 1851 and 1921, inclusive. Data for education were gathered at each one, but those for 1921 are not available. They are given in detail by age groups, provincial districts, the sexes, and metropolitan and suburban areas for the census of 1916. 10 Education of 'population in Neiv Zealand Literacy 5 years of age and over Under 5 years of age From 5 to 9 years of age, inclusive Age not specified Num¬ ber Per cent Num¬ ber Per cent Num¬ ber Per cent Num¬ ber Per cent Able to read and write.. 909,055 7,429 39,886 9, 758 95.06 .77 4. 17 86,189 3,162 31, 491 1, 976 71.32 2. 62 26. 06 1,063 10 96 97 83.53 .68 15. 79 Able to read only... Can not read. 132,055 100 Not stated .... Total..... 966,128 132,055 122, 818 1, 266 These figures include North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands. Native Maoris (52,781) are not taken into consideration. Norfolk Island. —The island had a population of 717 in 1921, and of these 634 were 5 years of age and over. Forty, or 6.3 per cent, could not read. * 11 North Ireland. —In 1923, 2.2 per cent of the husbands and 2 per cent of the wives signed the marriage register by marks. Norway. —The Bureau Central de Statistique at Oslo writes: “As the obligation to attend schools is compulsory, there is practically no illiteracy in Norway.” ‘Hickson, W. E. An account of the present state of education in Holland, Belgium, and the German States, with a view to the practical steps which should be taken for improving and extending the means of popular instruction in Great Britain and Ireland. London, 1840. 6 Statesman’s Yearbook, 1925. 10 Results of the census of the Dominion* of New Zealand taken for the night of the 15th of October, 1916 Part V, Education. By Malcolm Fraser. Wellington, 1918. 11 Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, April 4,1921. Census Bulletin No. 5. Territory of Norfolk Island. Prepared by the Commonwealth statistician, Melbourne. AREAS OF LEAST ILLETERACY 17 Territory oj Papua .—Papua has an area of 90,540 square miles. The native population of Papuans, Melanesians, and Negritos is esti¬ mated at 250,000. The number of nonindigenous people, mostly European, was 2,078 in 1921. Of these, 196 were under 5 years of age. Among those 5 years of age and over, 148, or 7.8 per cent, could not read. No illiteracy data are given for the native population. 12 American Samoa .—American Samoa had in 1920 a population of 8,056, of which only 41 were white persons. Native Polynesians were 96 per cent; those of “mixed race” about 3 per cent. Ninety-six persons out of every 100 of the population 10 years of age and over were reported as able to read and write, a condition explained as “due largely to the educational zeal of the Christian missionaries who estab¬ lished schools in the Samoan villages as early as 1830.” 13 For the most part the ability to read and write is restricted to reading and writing in the English language. Scotland .—The census schedule for Scotland, 1921, did not include an item on education. Estimates of illiteracy are based on the report of the register general of Scotland for 1923, which shows that in 35,200 marriages only 84 men and 122 women signed the marriage register with marks. To this may be added the statement: Heated discussions as to the high education rate would be lessened by bearing in mind that Scotland is possibly not now so far ahead of other countries in na¬ tional education as she was and our (England’s) new educational arrangements have not yet had time to bear fruit. In Scotland few there are to-day who can not both read and write. 14 Sweden .—The Kungliga Statistiska Centralbyran writes: No data regarding the number of illiterates in the whole population are gathered, either at a census or in any other way. On the other hand, literacy is annually investigated among those liable to military service. In the educational year 1921-22 the result was as seen from the following table: Literacy among those liable to military service in Sweden Accomplishment Reading Writing Good accomplishment..__.. Per cent 63.13 36. 75 .12 Per cent 38. 27 61.49 .24 Fairly well trained....... Lacking knowledge to......... Total. ..... 100.00 100.00 Accordingly, one finds that practically all who are liable to military service can read and write. It is not known what proportion of illiteracy exists as between city and country people. « 12 Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, April 4,1921. Census Bulletin No. 4. Territory of Papua. Prepared by the Commonwealth statistician, Melbourne. 13 Census of American Samoa. Bureau of the Census, Washington, D. C., 1920. 14 Bissett-Smith, George T. The census and some of its uses. Edinburgh, W. Green & Sons, Limited 1921 18 WORLD ILLITERACY In the population as a whole illiteracy is likewise exceedingly small. This condition is not because of recent improvements in literacy, but has existed in our land for a long time. Compulsory education dates from 1842, when it was provided that each parish must have at least one school. Switzerland .—The Swiss Federal Bureau of Statistics states: In Switzerland no statistics exist with regard to the number of illiterate persons, owing to the fact that elementary education is compulsory and free of cost. On the other hand, the number of betrothed men and women who sign their marriage certificates with a cross is recorded. The number of such persons, covering the years 1906 to 1910, was: Males, 458 (0.33 per cent); females, 635 (0.46 per cent); out of a total of 137,408 marriages contracted. Of these illit¬ erates, 413 men and 555 women were foreigners. The majority of the illiterates were therefore foreigners, born in foreign coun¬ tries, and mostly Italians. The few Swiss included in the above figures are Swiss people who have returned from foreign countries. In any case, if speaking of illiterate Swiss, born and brought up in Switzer¬ land, the figures of 0.02 which you mention, and the source of which is not known to us, would be naught in view* of the strict application of the federal law con¬ cerning elementary instruction. Union of South Africa .—By the census of May 3, 1921, the total population of 6,928,580 was 21.9 per cent European; 67.8 per cent Bantu; 2.4 per cent Asiatic: and 7.8 per cent mixed and other races. Data on illiteracy are given only for the Bantu in this census of 1921. The mark signatures at marriages among the Europeans are avail¬ able for a number of years. 15 For the years 1918 to 1922, inclusive, 130,944 persons among the Europeans contracted marriage, and of these 685, or 0.52 per cent, signed with a mark. In the last quarter of 1922, the schools enrolled 323,851 pupils, something more than one-fifth the European population. The census schedule of 1918 contained three questions on educa¬ tion among Europeans. The first asked about ability to (1) read and write, (2) to read only, and (3) inability to read or write. The second asked whether either or both official languages were spoken. The third asked the nature of the instruction being received—at university, at school, or at home. The data secured in response to the first question are reported for the white population 7 years of age and over in urban and rural areas. 16 They are also arranged for the group 10 years of age and over and compared with the censuses of 1904 and 1911. Official Yearbook of the Union of South Africa and of Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate, and Swaziland. Statistics mainly for the period 1910-1924. No. 7. J. E. Holloway, director of census and statistics. Pretoria, 1925. 18 Census of the European or white races of the Union of South Africa, 1918, Final report and supple¬ mentary tables. Presented to Parliament. Cape Town, 1920. AREAS OF LEAST ILLITERACY 19 Literacy of white 'population 7 years of age and over, and 10 years of age and over in the Union of South Africa Particulars 7 years of age and over 10 years of age and over 1918 1918 1911 1904 Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Read and write.. 1,091,978 94. 57 1,015,065 97.24 906, 117 96.89 800. 381 94.20 Read only...... 17,301 1.5 8, 757 .84 6,382 .68 10, 661 1.25 Neither read nor write.. 22, 940 1. 99 12, 907 1.24 21,856 2.34 34,889 4.11 Unspecified-.. 22,418 1.94 7,135 .68 885 .09 3,740 .44 Literacy of total white population, all ages Particulars 1918 1911 1904 Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Read and write___ 1,091,978 17,301 22,940 22,418 267,144 76. 80 969,089 17,489 287,783 1,872 75.93 855,612 19,670 76. 61 Read only___ 1.22 1.37 1.76 Neither read nor write and infants.. Unspecified_ 1.61 1.58 22.55 .15 233i 248 8, 276 20.89 .74 Children under 7.._ 18.79 Total.___ 1,418,060 1, 276,242 1,116,806 United States .—The population schedule for the census of 1920 con¬ tained two items regarding illiteracy; one as to whether the person enumerated was able to read; the other as to whether he was able to write. Illiteracy is defined as inability to write in any language, not necessarily English, regardless of ability to read. The statistics relate to the population 10 years of age and over. The abstract of the illiteracy data 17 contains detailed figures both quantitative and per¬ centages, for the Nation as a whole, the divisions, and the States. They are arranged by population classes—native white, foreign-born white, negro, and other racial groups—sex, various age groups, and urban and rural. They afford bases for a wide range of comparisons. w Fourteenth census of the United States. Population: 1920. Illiteracy. (Reprint of chap. 12, vol. 2, Fourteenth census reports.) Bureau of the Census, Washington, D. C. CHAPTER III Political Divisions with Illiteracy Rates Between 1 0 and 50 Per Cent The political divisions having illiteracy rates between 10 and 50 per cent are listed in Table 3, page 22, in groups of 10 per cent range each. These 23 divisions are predominantly small in population. Eight have fewer than 1,000,000 inhabitants each; 10 others have fewer than 10,000,000. Four are outlying parts of the United States; 4, of the British Empire. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Yugoslavia, of the European countries, are nations newly created or recreated since the World War. The illiteracv rates of the first four named are to a V considerable extent the result of the policies of the former Russian Empire. That of Poland is inherited from Russia, Austria, and Ger¬ many. The central counties of Poland, formerly the Congress Kingdom, and the eastern counties, all of which were under Russian rule, reported in the census of 1921 illiteracy rates among those 10 years of age and over ranging from 30 to 71 per cent. The city of Warsaw is excepted. The 4 meridional counties which belonged to Austria report rates from 19.4 to 46 per cent. The 3 western counties, formerly under German rule, were, respectively, Poznan, 3.7 per cent; Pomorze, 5.2; and Slask Cieszynski, 2.5. Rumania, at the close of the war, received considerable accessions of territory: Bucovine from Austria, Transylvania from Hungary, and Bessarabia from Russia. The illiteracy rate in Rumania, already probably high, seems to have been raised by the inclusion of the peo¬ ples living in these cessions. The illiteracy rate on the European Continent increases in general as one goes toward the south and the east. Spain, Italy, and Bul¬ garia show comparatively high rates. The first two are long- established nations and fully responsible for the state of education within their borders. The rate for Greece is not given, and while it is estimated at considerably in excess of 50 per cent, no one knows with any certainty what it is. Greek Macedonia and Thrace, otherwise called New or Northern Greece, became a part of Greece in 1912 after having belonged to Turkey for several centuries. Education was not common under the Turkish regime, a very large percentage of the population being illiterate. 20 BETWEEN 10 AND 50 PER CENT 21 Since 1912 so much history has been enacted here that little opportunity has been given for the study of it. Macedonia was a battleground during the World War as well as for Balkan wars, and after the defeat of the Greeks by the Turks in 1922, the exchange of great masses of population took place between the two countries and to a much lesser extent between Greece and Bulgaria. Of the million and a half refugees who fled or were transferred from Asia Minor to Greece, about a million came to New Greece during the period from 1922 to 1924 and replaced 350,000 Turks transferred to Turkey. * * * Saloniki is the metropolis of New Greece, and it has grown from 175,000 in 1922 to about 500,0004 With such a shifting of populations, the Government of Greece can not be held responsible for the present status of illiteracy. The rates for the three South American countries, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, correspond fairly closely to those of the southern European section. Uruguay is listed in Table 3 as having between 30 and 39.9 per cent of illiteracy (inability to write in any language among persons 10 years of age and over). This is an estimate made from different sources of information. (See page 30.) The population of these 23 political divisions, as shown in column 6, is 155,828,993. To this must be added the figures for Memel, 140,000, and the native population of New Guinea, estimated at 200,000, making a total of 156,168,993, or about 8.6 per cent of that of the world. Their land area is 3,410,617 square miles, about 6.6 per cent of that of the earth, excluding uninhabited polar regions. The absolute number of illiterates for the political divisions report¬ ing are: Estonia, 101,672; Hawaii, 35,336; Hungary, 1,090,715; New Guinea (Europeans), 304; Alaska, 10,874; Guam, 2,011; Latvia, 282,043; Newfoundland and Labrador, 43,392; Virgin Islands, 5,281; Cuba, 796,806; Finland, 619,367; Lithuania, 680,047; Poland, 6,581,307; Bulgaria, 1,744,704; Jamaica, 468,742; Colony of the Leeward Islands, 44,800; and Spain, 7,446,698; making a total of 19,954,099. Argentina, Italy, Yugoslavia, Uruguay, Chile, and Rumania, for which the data are based on unreliable indices, must have almost 19,000,000 and Memel and the native peoples of New Guinea about 140,000, making approximately 39,000,000 of persons 10 years of age and over that can not read and write. 1 Educational facilities in Saloniki and Greek Macedonia. Rept. from Robert F. Fernald, American Consul at Saloniki, Dec. 10, 1927. Table 3 .—Political divisions having an illiteracy rate between 10 and 49.9 per cent listed in groups of 10 per cent range 22 WORLD ILLITERACY CQ QDOD 00 OOOOO 0 O O Q H 0 CO CM CO CO CO CM *C CD H O ’“i Tt< t-H CO CO P 05 T—1 I''- CO 05 CO CO 40 CMiOHCOC 8 s 40 CM © COC5HtH O O 05 CO 05 CO HjjS co 10 00 co'io'co fiPcO t-h 40 05 CO CM oT 8f cm" V r-" _ O*ooo cao CO 05 05 t-H © 3 H O. hcio l'- 40 CM CO CO 0 rH O oT cm" CO cm" t-" rH cm" O CO CM ^H a 1 1 40 1 CO 05 40 Tf Tt» CO rH CO 05 CM 1 1 1 © »-h 0 P o-H oi 3 0 iO a CO 0 05 oc 05 00 05 1 05 40 CO 0 f—1 0 05 CO* • 1 ^ *3> •« a’r; ®teoo p pL< ** £} CO a 1 1 1 1 co 00 co CO 00 1 1 1 1 1 » o.g21« SggSg.® WNCMO 00 _: rH Tf 05 Tf rH ’-H GO CO OO 05 0 CM 1 1 co co 1^ co co 3 CM CO CO CO 1 H H CM 00 t^oTcM* © - > CM t'- 05 i“H 05 Tf t-H 00 r-i 05 CM CO 40 oT CO cm" 1 1 1 3 2 O. co 00 00 •rP bfi O CO GO CM 40 r-H 05 CO 1 05 I— 1 T—* CO CO r—( O O cx> O 1 a w " .2 a £8!!** © fc CM r-H CM CM 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 a o xj-S 013 £ a 0.0 © 0 Q co 9 o CM O CM CM CM 05 05 05 00 rH ^ CM CO 6 S 6 f? 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T 3 ° ° >- l '0 SS'O'G.m cl 03 G G O c3 © « 03 G be ® ® a _ 03 M 00 3 03 «*—( ^ & © <4—1 O *4-4 <4—1 ^ O w ° ° ® w ^ CO CO $? b c3 j-t ^ C3 o3 >® ® £ >» © > © bfl nd d c3 nd c 3 «D is o 33 bfi G •pH £ o a M o d *-T CD P> O 'd d c3 © be o3 M J-4 <3 © io ^ 00 00 05 CDON< rf ^ i ) O ) LQ 00 00 “H dpd C /2 nd d 03 'd C 3 £ © © c3 o a ® ©43 © -m © .pH 05 © §3 2 a wt 3 .S§ . >. s-i m £ ©'G h > G So° g 3 TJ tn ^ clH P > ^ § § 3 * oU o ■H • a .. . 3} 03 kI'-' k ® ® ^,—1 O ’S&dS 1 " >- G 03 G ® 03 >> p »o - Il°ll§2 „ 0 t>>0i o 0 'S jwpslS t> © o bo r P* rt w d d -d *-< ) © <» ^ •f] Cfl H ^ g o 5 o ^ 5 odp ° CTJ o ©CO ©*d CO © *♦—• C3 . ©'d 03 ‘ s • C 3 -H 4 J ^ t 3 ^ ® PI p.« o u ^ N W •o «o 24 WORLD ILLITERACY Estonia .—In Estonia, among persons over 15 years of age, the census of 1922 showed 5.9 per cent unable to read or write; an addi¬ tional 5.8 per cent knew only how to read, making a total of 11.7 per cent wholly or partly illiterate. 2 For those 10 years of age and over, the figure is 10.8 per cent; for 7 years of age and over, 12.66 per cent. 3 Hawaii .—The population of the Territory of Hawaii is so hetero¬ geneous that data for illiteracy are given by divisions for the sexes under 12 racial classifications. The rates are: Hawaiian, 3 per cent; Caucasian Hawaiian, 0.6 per cent; Asiatic Hawaiian, 1.1 per cent; Portuguese, 18.9 per cent; Porto Rican, 46.7 per cent; Spanish, 31.5 per cent; other. Caucasian, 0.8 per cent; Chinese, 21 per cent; Japanese, 20.8 per cent; Korean, 17.3 per cent; Filipino, 46.7 per cent; Negro and all other, 14.7 per cent. 4 The definition of illiteracy is that commonly used in the United States. Hungary .—The population of Hungary 15 years of age and over numbers 5,536,588, or 69.4 per cent of the total of all ages. In this age group, 744,903 (13.4 per cent) could neither read nor write. 5 Persons 6 years of age and over number 7,189,272; and 1,090,715, or 15.17 per cent, could neither read nor write. Those 10 years of age and over are 6,450,683, or 80.8 per cent of the population. Territory oj New Guinea .—The term “New Guinea” is here applied to the area of about 92,000 square miles over which the League of Nations gave Australia a mandate. It consists of that part of the island of New Guinea formerly known as Kaiser Wilhelm’s Land, Bismarck Archipelago, and the two most northern of the Solomon Islands—Bougainville and Buka. The indigenous population of Papuans and Melanesians is estimated at from 200,000 to 300,000. The total nonindigenous population of 3,173 was 1,288 European, 1,424 Chinese, and the remainder of other Asiatic races. 6 2 Annusson, Jiiri. Instruction publique en Estonie. Tallinn, 1925. 3 Aper?u de la demographic des divers pays du monde, 1925. 4 Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920, bulletin. Population: Hawaii, Bureau of the Census Washington, D. 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Oi o ^ fl - - o CO "d d cd r-H i n h-t © fl © « fl ^ •rH ' _a |Sa _ a © © .2 & s >>5sags _ © o ih § _ O gm •rH «4—« tf ° ° 9 H .2 o fl aft v e K. 3 i< 3 S s s ©ft © 8 © o m fl D hr; O © © © © © •■J •—H U •S fl S2 §2«Sh c^.floo fl°iW ©^fJ s|s§§^ §« go © © © k k Is ft ft ft <1 a § GO ft 2 O bO^fl WlSft CM tO T3 05 Td d r-H © S3 o fl •© © E-| s a 05 r-H 05 .1 s (h £ © a ^ .a fla h © m 5P>» 03 W © ® — .SSS-ftgSdSS ©flJ-rlH q ®o fl fl H fe.SPfl^ fl^-fl-ft -'so! ...,io o a 2 h co a © g a 9h , H COrO OO 05 Jh cdn^.H ®^orga^3 fl flooco fl fll-© to ^'2or co -°.2gBs © io ^ (M w ^ MH©©©®2no te bfi be be be ©ft buH £; fl a fl fl^a^ fl >- jaaaa 0 fl'3'3'© © gft © a tgflflflfl—ic«fl« U3._ .fl .fl.„ 53 A— O H> 0 doooocdxjop °a a © 33 O POPULATION OYER HALF ILLITERATE 37 Ceylon .—The total population by the census of March 18, 1921, was 4,504,549 persons, of whom Low-country Sinhalese were 42.8 per cent; Kandyan Sinhalese, 24.2 per cent; Ceylon and Indian Tamils, 24.9 per cent; Ceylon and Indian Moors, 6.3 per cent; Euro¬ peans, 0.2 per cent; Burghers and Eurasians, 0.7 per cent; and other races, 0.9 per cent. Careful statistics on literacy and English literacy were gathered for all persons 5 years of age and over and are reported 1 in detail by races, religions, the sexes, and certain age groups. Considerable pertinent discussion accompanies the tables. The test of literacy was fixed as the “ ability to read and write a short letter,” and the enumerators were given an example of about the amount of ability required. They were not to consider as “literate,” persons who could only sign their names. Literacy and English literacy in Ceylon Ceylon 1911 1921 Per cent Population: Men________ 2,175,030 1,931,320 2, 381,812 2,116, 793 Women._._._. Total........ 4,106,350 14,498, 605 Literates: Men_________ 878, 766 204,062 1,156,119 381,475 48.6 18.0 Women______ Total_____ 1, 082, 828 1, 537, 594 34.2 English literates: Men ...- . 70, 862 23, 781 107, 296 37, 213 4.5 1.8 W omen........... Total .. . _ _ 94, 643 144, 509 3.2 1 Europeans, 8,118. When from the above data the children under 5 years of age are excluded (numbering 643,481), the percentages, including those for the two previous censuses, are as shown in the table here given. Literacy and English literacy in Ceylon, excluding children under 5 years of age 1901 1911 1921 Literates: M en - __ 42.0 47.2 56.3 Women . _ _ _ 8.5 12.5 21.2 Both spires _ . . _ 26.4 31.0 39.9 English literates: Men - . ___ 3.7 3.8 5.2 Wnmen _ - _ __ 1.4 1.5 2.1 "Roth spy P,s __ _ -- - 2.6 2.7 3.7 1 Census publications, Ceylon, 1921. Vol. I, Pts. I and II. Report on the Census of Ceylon, 1921. L. J. B. Turner. Colombo, Ceylon, 1923. WORLD ILLITERACY 38 w The report shows 1,218,325 children under 10 years of age. Colombia .—The census of October 14, 1918, gives the population as 5,696,694, exclusive of 158,428 Indians. Of this population, ex¬ cluding the Indians, 3,637,552, or 63.8 per cent, 2 could neither read nor write. The following table is taken from the latest census report. 3 Literacy of population of Colombia, exclusive of Indians Men W omen Total Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Can read and write _ ... Can read but not write. Can neither read nor write.. Unspecified.. 845,313 44, 648 1, 709, 785 149, 652 32.56 1.73 65.71 791,807 64,150 1,927,767 163, 527 28. 44 2. 32 69.24 1,637,120 108, 798 3, 637, 552 313,179 30.43 2. 04 67. 53 The same report gives the number of children under 10 years of age as 1,614,248, or 28.33 per cent, and those under 5 as 830,082, or 14.5 per cent. Assuming all under 5 to be illiterate, the percentage of illiteracy among those 5 years of age and over is 57.6 per cent. British Guiana .—The total population by the census of April 24, 1921, was 297,691, not counting about 9,700 aborigines. The popu¬ lation consists of Europeans, 1.11 per cent; Portuguese, 3.08 per cent; East Indians, 41.97 per cent; Chinese, 0.91 per cent; Blacks and Africans, 39.36 per cent; mixed, 10.28 per cent; aborigines, 3.07 per cent; not stated, 0.22 per cent. Of the persons 5 years of age and over, 132,240, or 49.5 per cent, were returned as able to read and 127,880, or 47.9 per cent, as able to write. 4 The data arranged for each sex are: Can read: Men, 67,195, or 40.45 per cent; women, 65,045, or 49.63 per cent. Can write: Men, 65,355, or 48.09 per cent; women, 62,525, or 47.7 per cent. British Malaya .—British Malaya includes the Colony of the Straits Settlements; the Federated Malay States of Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang; and the Unfederated States of Jahore, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Trengannu in the Malay Peninsula, and of Brunei in the Island of Borneo. The total population, by the census of April 24, 1921, was 3,358,054, or 59.32 per square mile, dis¬ tributed as follows: Straits Settlements, 883,769; Federated Malay States, 1,324,890; Unfederated Malay States, 1,149,395. Racially they were Malay, 49.2 per cent; Chinese, 35 per cent; Indian, 14 per cent; European, 0.45 per cent; Eurasian, 0.4 per cent; and others, 0.9 per cent. Males greatlv outnumber the females, the ratio being 1,000 to 628. 2 Apergu de la demographie des divers pays du monde, 1925. 3 Censo de poblacion de la Republica de Colombia levantado el 14 de Octubre de 1918, etc. Alberto Schleisinger, Director General de Estadlstica. Bogota, 1924. 4 Bayley, Sydney H. British Guiana. Report on the results of the census of the population. 1S2' • Georgetown, Demerara, 1922. POPULATION OVER PIALF ILLITERATE 39 At the 1921 census the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, and Jahore and Kelantan collected and compiled literacy data for the larger towns but not for the rural areas. The other four governments did not include in their census an inquiry on literacy. The data as reported * 5 summarize as follows: Literacy in the larger towns of the Straits Settlements , the Federated Malay States , and Jahore and Kelantan Division Number examined Literate Illiterate Not returned Per cent of illiteracy Straits Settlements.. ... .. _ 504, 095 190, 506 48, 525 181, 070 81,820 15,064 314,965 103,881 32, 913 8,060 4,805 548 63.4 55.9 68.6 Federated Malay States. _ ___ . Unfederated Malay States.___ . .. .. Total_______ 743,126 277,954 451, 759 13,413 61.9 These percentages apply to the population of all ages in the groups examined. The test of literacy was the same as that used in India, “ ability to write a short letter to a friend and read the answer. ” Of the total population, 341,631, or 10.17 per cent, are under 5 years of age, and 947,545 are under 15. Briefly, the status of literacy was determined for 22.1 per cent, all urban, of the total population, and the index of illiteracy, 61.91 per cent, applies to all ages in that urban group. If all those under 5 (about 10.17 per cent) are considered illiterate, the rate for persons 5 years of age and over is 57.6 per cent. It is undoubtedly higher in the rural population. Practically all the Europeans over 15 years of age were literate, and the same applied to the Eurasians, except in Malacca, where there is a large settlement of Portuguese Eurasians, mostly fisher¬ men, the majority of whom were illiterate. Only 45 per cent of the Eurasians in the town of Malacca could read and write, compared with 74 per cent in Singapore and 70 per cent in Penang. Among the other races the most striking feature was the high percentage of literacy among the Japanese, both male and female. Mexico .—The total population of 14,334,780, as determined by the census of November 30, 1921, is 29.16 per cent native Indians; 59.33 per cent mixed; 9.8 per cent white; 1 per cent other races; and 0.71 per cent foreigners without distinction of race. 6 The number of illiterates—persons that can not read and write, of all ages—has been estimated at 8,208,454, out of the 13,177,368 population; 7 the t The Census of British Malaya, 1921. By J. E. Nathan, superintendent of the 1921 census, British Malaya. London, 1922. 6 Estadfstica nacional. Revista quincenal. Organo del Departmento de la Estadistica Nacional. Ano II, numero 42. Oct. 31, 1926. i Boletin de la Secretaria de Educacion Publica. Torno V, No. 3, Marzo. Publicaciones de la Secre* tario de educacion publica. Mexico, D. F. 1926. 40 WORLD ILLITERACY territories of Baja California, and Quintana Roo, and the Federal District (all having a population of 979,860), and probably the foreign element, not being included. This gives 62.2 per cent illiteracy. Philippine Islands .—By the census of December, 1918, the total population of 10,314,310 is reported as divided racially into 98.9 per cent brown; 0.5 per cent yellow; 0.4 per cent half-breed; 0.1 per cent white; and 0.1 per cent negro. 8 The census gives the percentage of literacy as 49.2. It classes as literate the Christian Filipino population 10 years of age and over who can read any of the Filipino dialects. These number 3,138,634, or 49.2 per cent of the total native Christian population 10 years of age and over, which is 6,381,261. The literates include those who can read or write English or Spanish. The number that can write Spanish is 664,822; those that can read Spanish, 879,811. Approximately 25 per cent of the people who can read Spanish can not write it. Assuming this percentage to be general in the islands, the percentage shown as literate under the Philippine classification should be reduced about 25 per cent to make it comparable with the classification of “ability to write in any language” used on the mainland of the United States. From the data are omitted the 62,336 persons of foreign birth and the so-called “non-Christian” peoples numbering 932,953. No records of literacy among these groups appear; so a really accurate figure is not obtainable from the report. The report of the Wood-Forbes special mission to the Philippines, of October 8, 1921, states the degree of literacy to be about 37 per cent. Porto Rico .—The population of 1,299,809 is 73 per cent white, 3.8 per cent negro, and 23.2 per cent mulatto. Illiteracy statistics for each racial group are given in detail for the sexes, various age groups, and the municipalities. 9 The definition of illiteracy is that used on the mainland of the United States. The population 10 years of age and over was 904,423, and of these, 497,089, or 55 per cent, were illiterate. Among the whites the rate is 53.1 per cent; among the negroes, 60.8 per cent; and among the mulattoes, 60 per cent. Union oj Socialist Soviet Republics .—One authority 10 offers the following: The 1920 census gave the following data in regard to the literacy of the popu¬ lation of the Soviet Union. For every 1,000 males, 617 were literate; 336 women 8 Census of the Philippine Islands. Vol. II., Population and mortality. Compiled and published by Census Office of Philippine Islands. Manila, 1921. 9 Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. Bulletin. Population: Porto Rico. Bureau of the Census, Washington, D. C. 19 Commercial yearbook of the Soviet Union, 1925. Compiled and edited by Louis Segal and A. A. Santalov. London, George Allen & Unwin (Ltd.), 1926. POPULATION OYER HALF ILLITERATE 41 out of every 1,000 were literate; while the average number per 1,000 of the total population was 465. But during the intervening period illiteracy has been gradually reduced by the various campaigns carried out for that purpose. Another authority 11 gives the following table: Literacy data for Russia in Europe 1 —August 28, 1920 Ages Men Women Population Not knowing how to read or write Per cent Population Not knowing how to read or write Per cent 5-14 years. 12,028,547 7,718,514 64.17 12, 263,400 8, 854, 111 72.20 15-24 years... 5, 218,324 1,367,785 26. 21 8, 816, 254 4, 739, 563 53.76 25-59 years... 12, 290, 910 4,908,611 39.94 16,135,929 12, 376,575 76.70 60 years or over.. 2,882, 762 2,156, 532 74. 81 3, 566,182 3, 303, 282 92.63 Age unknown... 59,926 50, 744 84. 68 65,295 58, 294 89.28 Total. 32, 480,469 16, 202,186 49.88 40,847,060 29, 331,825 71.81 1 Not comprising the governments of Volynie, Zaporojsk, and Podolsk, as well as different parts of the following districts: (1) The government of Vitebsk, Drissensky, and Polotzki; (2) The government of Tambov, Tambovsky, Borrissoglebsky, Kirsanovsky, and Oumansky; (3) The government of Krement- chouck, Alexandriisky, Tcherkassky, and the district of Krementchouck, entirely; (4) The government of Poltava, Koleliaksk (rural population), Godiatchsk, Konstantinogradsk, and Siriatinsk; (5) The gov¬ ernment of Odessa, the district Pervormaisky. By these data, 45,534,011, or 62.09 per cent, out of 73,327,529 per¬ sons 5 years of age and over could neither read nor write in 1920. The population of Russia in Europe is given as 82,827,834; so this index applies to 88.5 per cent of the total. Literacy in Russia in 1920, by divisions 1 Men Women Total ‘Rnrnpean Russia- __ - __ _ _ _ 42.2 35.7 30.7 22.5 21.5 13.4 33.0 28.1 21.8 Trans Caucasia_ Western Siberia __ - - _ Total ___ 40.9 22.4 31.9 1 Poradnik Likvidatora Nepismennosti ta Malopismennosti. Tshetverte ponovlene i vipravlene vidanya. Vidannya Ofitsiyne. Derzhavne vidanitstvo Ukrainy, 1925. The population of Ukraine is estimated at 26,965,144, with 48.8 per cent (4,001,921) of those 18 to 39 years of age as illiterates. A census of the entire Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was taken on December 27, 1926, but the figures on illiteracy have not yet been made public. Some data of significance have been presented in a current yearbook. 12 The population of the entire Union was 145,906,624, including an urban population of 25,760,879. The men numbered 70,217,000; women, 75,689,000. Voroshilov reported that 12.4 per cent of the conscripts drawn for the army in 1925 were illiterate, as compared with 19.4 per cent in 11 Aper^u de la d6mographie des divers pays du monde, 1925. i* Statisticheskii Spravochnik U. S. S. R., 1927. Sentralnoye Statisticheskoye Upravlenie U. S. S. R. Izdanie TSSY, Moskva 11 B. Vuzovskii, 2. 42 WORLD ILLITERACY 1924. All illiterate recruits are taught to read and write during their first year of service. 13 Brazil .—The census of September 1, 1920, showed a population of 30,635,605, of whom 23,142,248, or 75.5 per cent, could neither read nor write. Data are available for the number and per cent of illiterates for both sexes and for each State. 14 The population under 15 years of age numbered 13,078,323, and of these, 11,740,533 (89.9 per cent) were illiterate. If illiteracy for the nation is computed on a basis of those 15 years of age and over, it is 64.9 per cent. The population under 5 years of age is 4,593,163. Considering all these to be illiterate, the percentage of illiteracy for all 5 years of age and over is 71.2 per cent. Nicaragua .—The report of the census of 1920 15 gives the following data: Literacy data for Nicaragua Number of per¬ sons Per cent Total population......... 638,119 Know how to read and write___ 176,921 461,198 27.78 72.27 Do not know how to read and write____ Persons 10 years of age or less..____ 169, 510 26. 75 40.49 Per cent of illiterates among those over 10 years of age.... The figures are plainly inconsistent. If the entire number of those knowing how to read and write is credited to the population over 10 years of age—considering all 10 years or less to be illiterate— illiteracy is 62.3 per cent. Assuming one-seventh of the population to be 5 years of age and under and all illiterate, the percentage among those 5 years of age and over is 67.6. (See pp. 4 and 5.) Portugal .—According to the census of December 1, 1920, the total population, including the 411,014 in the Azores and Madeira, was 6,032,991. The population 5 years of age and over numbered 5,428,859 and of these 3,673,209, or 67.66 per cent, could neither read nor write. 16 Another authority reports 1,838,419 illiterate men (64.4 per cent) and 2,438,992 illiterate women (76.7 per cent), with the rate for the total population as 70.9 per cent. 17 The two reports are con¬ sistent. The former has excluded and the latter included the 604,132 children under 5 years of age. Both are at variance with the data 13 Commercial Handbook of the U. S. S. R. (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) for 1927. Published by the Soviet Union Information Bureau, Washington, D. C. 14 Diario Official. Quinta-feira 4. 4th Fevereiro de 1926. p. 2815. Rio de Janeiro. 13 Republica de Nicaragua, Censo general de 1920. Tipografia Nacional, Managua. *6 Aper$u de la demographic des divers pays du monde, 1925. 17 Statesman’s Year-Book, 1925. POPULATION OVER HALF ILLITERATE 43 presented by the director general of statistics in his report on educa¬ tion. 18 In a detailed table of comparisons for the years 1890, 1900, 1911, and 1920, he gives the percentages of illiteracy among men and women and the total for both sexes for persons over 7 years of age in each Province but not in the islands. The figures for 1920 are: Men, 46.4 per cent; women, 62.1 per cent; and for both sexes, 54.6 per cent. The director does not define illiteracy, but the lower figure leads one to believe that it is merely “inability to read.” Venezuela .—An organized census was taken January 31 to February 3, 1926. Information about the degree of instruction was gathered under the headings: Know how to read and write; know how to read but not write; know how neither to read nor write. The data for the six States of Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Bolivar, Carabobo, and Cojedes are available by totals and districts for the sexes. 19 Literacy data for 6 States of Venezuela State Can read and write Can read but not write Can neither read nor write Not stated Total Men Women Men W omen Men W omen Men Women Anzoategui..... Apure____ Aragua... Bolivar..... Carabobo__ Cojedes___ Total.... 9, 267 4, 365 15,417 13, 974 20, 930 3, 388 10,183 4, 030 14, 826 14,127 21, 840 3, 448 437 221 814 499 843 210 436 255 1,023 590 1, 231 262 44, 049 16, 246 34, 594 21, 200 45, 896 18, 240 44,791 15,911 36,424 21, 464 51,192 19,164 2,235 915 1, 275 1,781 2,419 18, 641 2,396 1,050 1, 665 1, 592 2, 853 18, 799 113, 794 42, 993 106,038 75, 227 147, 204 82,152 67, 341 68,454 3, 024 3, 797 ISO, 225 188, 946 27, 266 28, 355 567, 408 Disregarding 55,621 for whom literacy data are not given, out of a total of 511,787 persons, 369,171, or 72.1 per cent, can neither read nor write; 6,821, or 1.4 per cent, can read but not write; and 135,795, or 26.5 per cent, can read and write. An indigenous population of about 55,000 is not included in these figures. About one-fifth (21.22 per cent) of the population of the Republic was in these States in 1920, so they may be considered as fairly rep¬ resentative. Dominican Republic .—Under the heading “grade of instruction” data gathered at the first national census taken in July of 1920 are reported 20 by Provinces for those who (1) can read, (2) can not read, 18 Instruc Percentage of Illiteracy STATISTICS 55 MAP OF AFRICA _j_92 7_ SCALE O 350 _700 Ml L E S LEGEN LESS LESS THAN 10 °fo 90 TO 100